parrelli



Feb. 14, 1956 B. F. PARRELLI MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1952 4 a Q 0% @x 8 I Z WK 0 6 Z Z Wm MM w w M Z Z Z 1 6 Q 5 O w Z w 9 2 F o 0 6 0U 2 3 5 J 6 6 0 Z Z Z w w Invenzor Ben Cmz n Farrell! 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. F. PARRELLI Q @w wk Inventor BerjaminFPaz-relli MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Feb. 14, 1956 Filed Oct. 2, 1952 www Feb. 14, 1956 B, PARRELLI 2,734,207

MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Filed Oct. 2, 1952 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor 15,6 Benjczrmh FRzr/"elli Feb. 14, 1956 B, F, FARRELL] 2,734,207

MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Filed Oct. 2, 1952 9 Shets-Sheet 4 Invenfor Benjamin E'Parrelll' Feb. 14, 1956 B. F. FARRELL! MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 2, 1952 Inventor Ber amz n Parr'ellz Feb. 14, 1956 B, F. F RRE 2,734,207

mcumss FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Filed Oct. 2, 1952 9 Sheets-Sheet e Fig. 7

378 375 lf mfj 376 226 22a c [Q L16 354 7 Inventor 356 Be/y'amin FParrellz;

Feb. 14, 1956 F, PARRELU 2,734,207

MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS [rm/e nfor Benjamin FParre/lz Feb. 14, 956 B. F. FARRELL! MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. 2, 1952 w n 6 v in Ben jamin FParrel/i Feb. 14, 1956 B. F. PARRELLI 2,734,207

MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Filed Oct. 2, 1952 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Inventor Benjamin F ParreZli United States Patent" MACHINES FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Benjamin F. Parrelli, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 2, 1952, Serial No. 312,818 17 tllaims. (Cl. 12-97 This invention relates to machines for shaping the toe portions of shoe vamps over forms.

In the manufacture of closed toe slip-lasted shoes, preshaping of the toe portion of the vamp is particularly important since, in the sewing of a sock lining to a full vamp, proper distribution of the vamp about the toe relatively to the sock lining requires so much care and skill that it is commercially impracticable.

Objects of this invention are to provide an improved machine for so preshaping the toe portion of a vamp as to greatly facilitate its attachment to the sock lining.

The illustrated machine is provided with a form and a pair of end-embracing wipers which advance and close lengthwise of the form but are stationary heightwise of the form. The form is of a shape and size for the vamp being treated plus a heightwise increase in dimension to provide a seam allowance on the shaped portion of the vamp. The vamp is provided with a lasting allowance at the toe and with a seam allowance only rearwardly of the tip line.

Jaws manually operated clamp the lasting allowance at the ends of the tip line against the wipers, the ends of the lasting allowance being located against depressible gages carried by the jaws. A distributor is manually operated with the jaws to press subtsantially all the lasting allowance about the toe from one jaw to the other against the wipers more or less positively throughout the shaping operation, depending on the nature of the stock from which the vamp is made.

The form on a form carrier is pushed under the vamp so held and the carrier locked against reverse movement. The machine is power operated under control of a hand lever and, when the power operation of the machine starts, a toe pad immediately presses the vamp yieldingly against the top of the form and holds it there throughout the forming operation. A form support moves the form upwardly between the wipers, the wipers advance and close, and the form is held yieldingly toward the wipers. Additional pressure is applied to the jaws and distributor and, as the machine comes to rest, the form support presses the distributor with great pressure against the vamp to form what remains of the lasting allowance at rightangles to the sides of the form, the angle indicating the line on which the vamp is to be trimmed.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, part of the frame being removed or shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation showing the instrumentalities which operate upon the work;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the form, form support, form carrier and distributor;

Fig. 3a is a sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts operating on a vamp;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the form and vamp prior to the power operation of the machine;

Fig. 5a is a detail, partly in section, of parts shown in Fig. 5;

2,734,207 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 "ice Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the final position of the parts after the vamp has been shaped and is being held under pressure;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of mechanism for operating the jaws and distributor;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the distributor and means for operating it by power;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the vamp prepared for operation thereon by the machine;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the vamp after the toe portion has been shaped by the machine;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the form; and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the reverse side of the shaped vamp.

The work to be done by the machine will be understood from Figs. 9 to 12. Fig. 9 shows a portion of the vamp V of a closed toe slip-lasted shoe, the margin M having only a seam allowance which is to be sewed to a sock lining. About the toe end there is the usual lasting allowance L ending at E in the region of the ends of the tip line. Fig. 11 shows the form over which a portion of the vamp is to be shaped by the operating instrumentalities of the machine. The vamp, after being shaped, is shown right side out in Fig. 10 and wrong side out in Fig. 12 which shows that a toe stiifener or box B may be applied to the vamp before it is shaped. The form (Fig. 11) is like the toe portion of a last except that its heightwise dimension is increased an amount equal to a seam allowance, that is, about one-eighth of an inch. It will be seen (Fig. 10) that except at the ends E the lasting allowance has become narrower due to the transfer of stock from the lasting allowance to the molded toe portion. What remains of the lasting allowance is formed very sharply at right angles to the molded toe portion and this angle or crease C is the line on which the lasting allowance is trimmed off but, due to the extra height of the form, the molded vamp after trimming has a seam allowance corresponding to that at M on the rest of the vamp. Therefore, the entire vamp has a seam allowance that can be sewed to the sock lining and the shoe slip-lasted.

It is desirable to have on the vamp a mark indicating where the slip-lasting seam should begin or end. Accordingly, a notch N is made in the end wall of the form near the center of the toe, which notch, due to the forming pressure applied to the vamp, forms a projection P (Fig. 12) on the inner side of the vamp to guide the operator in sewing the vamp and sock lining together.

The machine comprises a frame It? in which is journaled a shaft 12 carrying a gear 14' driven by a pinion 16 on the shaft of a motor 18. On the shaft 12 is a pinion (not shown) meshing with a gear 22 mounted on a cam or cam shaft 24 which is continuously driven when the motor is running. On the shaft 24 is a cam block 26 between which and the gear 22 is a half-revolution clutch of the type disclosed in United States Letters latent No.

1,674,085, granted June 19, 1928, in the names of M. H. Ballard and T. H. Seely.

An arm 28 of a stop lever pivoted at 36 engages one or the other of two projections 32, 34 to throw out the clutch and stop the cam block after it makes a half revolution. Backward movement of the cam block is prevented by an arm 36 carrying a dog 38 which engages notches 40 in the cam block. Both the arm 23 of the stop lever and the arm 36 are pivoted at 30 to ears 42 on the frame 10. The stop lever 28 has a forwardly extending arm 44 carrying a pin 46 lying under a hand lever 43 fulcrumed at 50 on the frame and having at its forward end a handle 52 which may be lifted to raise the arm 28 and cause the clutch to become set. The arm 44 carries a stop screw 53 to limit its anticlockwise movement by engaging the frame.

To prevent accidental or unauthorized operation of the handle '52 to trip the clutch when the power is turned off, a long strut is pivoted at 62 to the frame and has an upwardly open slot in its upper end which embraces the lever 48, the lever engaging the bottom of the slot so it cannot be lifted. An arm 64 on the strut is pivoted to a rod 66 the upper end of which is pivoted at 68 to the lower arm of an angle lever 70 having a fixed pivot at 72. A rearwardly extending arm 74 of the angle lever 70 is connected by a link 76 to a switch-closing lever 78 pivoted at 80 to the frame and having in its lower end a spring plunger 82 which, when the link '76 is moved to the left, engages a push button 84 on a switch box 86 and starts the motor. The arm '74 of the angle lever and the link 76 form an inverted toggle which is straightened by clockwise movement of the angle lever 78 about its pivot 72, causing the link 76 to pull the plunger 82 against the switch button to close the switch and start the motor. The angle lever 70 has an upward extension formed as a handle 90 by forward movement of which closing of the switch is effected. At the same time the rearward swinging of the angle lever 70 pulls on the rod 66 and tips the strut 6t) rearwardly, freeing the lever 48 for operation of the handle 52 to set the clutch.

The cam 26 has a cam track 92 engaged by a roll 94 on a reciprocating member 96 which is forked to engage a sleeve 98 on the shaft 24 and is connected at 108 to the joint of a toggle comprising links 102, 1 14. The link 102 is pivoted at 106 to a plunger 188 backed by a heavy compression spring the tension of which may be adjusted as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent. The toggle link 104 is pivoted to a block 110 embraced by a bifurcation in the lower end of a shaft 112 and held in place by a strap 114-, the block having some lost motion lengthwise of the shaft 112 which is mounted in the frame 10 for movement longitudinally at an angle of about 10 to the vertical and inclined from front to rear of the machine. At its upper end the shaft 112 carries an irregular block 116 on the upper side of which is a horizontal plate 118 serving as a support for the bottom of a form 120. The form 120 is shaped like the toe portion of a flat bottom last but has added to the bottom thereof about one-eighth inch of material so that the form is thicker heightwise than the corresponding last.

The form 128 is removably secured to a form carrier 122, as best shown in Fig. 3. The carrier has a head portion 124 which is fiat on its rear face to receive a flat end on the form. The head 124 carries a fixed stud 126 received rather loosely in a hole in the form. Another fixed stud 128 on the head 124 loosely engages another hole in the form. Extending lengthwise through the stud 128 is a rod 130 having on its front end a collar 132 fixed thereto and provided with a handle 134 by which the rod may be turned. On the rear end of the rod is secured an eccentric head 136 which, in one position of rotation, allOWs the form to be readily slipped upon the studs 126, 128 and, when in another position of rotation, that is, when the rod is turned by the handle 134, cramps the rod upon the stud to hold it securely.

The member 122 has a bifurcated front end pivoted at 138 (Fig. 3) to an upward projection 140 of a casting 142 which slips along the top of a member 144 hav ing an upwardly open channel to receive a downwardly projecting portion 146 of the casting 142 through which is an unthreaded hole to receive a screw 148. The screw has a collar 150 engaging the rear face of a plate 152 secured by screws 154 to the front end of the channel memher 144. The screw 148 extends through the plate 152 and has a large knob 156 thereon held by a pin 158.

The casting 142 is connected to the screw 148 by a half nut 160 slidable vertically in the projection 140, depressed by a compression spring 162 and raised by a hook-like handle 164. By raising the half nut the casting 142, and of course the form 120, may be moved toward and from the machine relatively to the channel member 144 which itself is movable inthe same direction between flanges 166 formed on a supporting member 168. To hold the channel member-144 from movement height- Wise with respect to the supporting member 163 the member 144 is provided on its under side with a downwardly open T-slot 170 in which is the square head of a bolt 172 passing through the member 168 and provided with nuts 174 which may be so set as to permit free sliding movement of the channel member 144 relatively to the supporting member 168 to move the form into and out of operative position. To hold the form in operative position a latch 176 is pivoted at 178 to ears on the channel member 144 and is urged by a spring 179 (Fig. 3) to engage at its lower end a notch 188 in the supporting member 168. Pressure on the upper end of the latch releases it so that the form may be withdrawn.

Extending forwardly from the block 116 secured to the upper end of the shaft 112 are two bracket arms 184, 186 which are connected by a cross-piece 188. The crosspiece carries a plate 190 having two upwardly directed flanges, the plate being adjustably secured to the crosspiece by a screw 192 engaging an elongated slot in the plate 19ll'as shown in Fig. 3a. Threaded into the screw 192 is a smaller screw 194 upon which the supporting member 168 rests between the upturned flanges of the plate 190, the flanges preventing lateral movement of the member but the screw 192 and its slot permitting lateral adjustment if desired.

Extending rearwardly from the supporting member 168 are two arms 196 which embrace a block 197 having a stern 198 fitted into the upper end of a lever 199, the arms being pivoted to the block 197 at 2%. The lower end of the lever 199 is 'pivoted'at 202 to and between the bracket arms 184, 186. The lever 199 carries a pin 204 projecting through a slot 286 in the bracket arm 184 and connected by a'tension spring 298 to the cross-piece 188 at 189. A link 210 is pivoted at 212 to the lever 199 and at 214 to a rocker 216 pivoted at 218 to and between the bracket arms 184, 186. A pin 220 on the rocker is connected by a yielding link 222 to a pin 224 extending between two brackets 226 (Fig. 7) secured to the frame 10.

The pin 224 being fixed, upward movement of the shaft 112 with the'bracket arms 184, 186 carrying the pivots 202, 218 causes a pull on the yielding link 222 and movement of the rocker 216 counterclockwise. The resulting push on the lik 216 swings the lever 199 counterclockwise, thus moving the supporting member 168 and the form 12tl'rearwardly of the machine and toward its operating instrumentalities. When the wipers oppose this movement of the form the link 222 will yield. A cross member228 extending between the bracket arms 184, 186 normally rests on an adjusting bolt 23% threaded into the frame 19 and adjustably determining the lower or initial position of the shaft 112 permitted by the lost motion of the block 110 in its lower end.

The machine is provided with end embracing wipers 24!) substantially as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,955,730, grantedApril 24, 1934, upon application of W. C. Baxter. These wipers are vertically fixed and are arranged in'wiper carriers 242 which have advancing and closing movements. Several means for advancing and closing the carriers are provided; one is by means of a hand wheel 244 (Fig. 1) by operation of which the wipers are adjusted to the size and shape of the form 12% Another means for operating the wipers comprises a power-operated lever 246 pivoted to the frame at 248 and carrying a roll 250 which is engaged by an edge cam 252 on the cam block 26. The cam has a projection 254 which acts on the roll to advance and close the wipers a predetermined amount by adjustment of a screw 256 in the upper end of the lever-to tightly force the upper material against the lower periphery of the form after it has been raised by the action of the toggle 102, 104.

The machine as shown is also provided with an auxiliary wiper-closing mechanism by which a part at least of the advancing and closing movement may be imparted to the wipers at an earlier stage in the cycle, this mechanism being as described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,03 6,086, granted March 31, 1936, upon application of F. I. Better, and comprising a lever 258 pivoted to the lower end of the lever 246 and carrying a roll 260 at its lower end and a screw 262 at its upper end by which the roll 260 may be so set that the projectoin 254 will engage it and advance and close the wipers to force the upper toward the end and sides of the form while the upward movement of the form is taking place. The amount the wipers are thus advanced and closed is shown by an indicator 263. Later in the cycle the projection 254 engages the roll 250 and completes the movement of the wipers.

Another operating instrumentality is a toe pad 264 (Fig. 1) mounted for vertical movement, as best disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,036,085, granted March 31, 1936, upon application of J. C. Cantley. The pad 264 is depressed by a spring 266 and is adjustable vertically in an arm 268 by a knob 270. The arm is carried by a vertically movable plunger 272 having formed thereon a rack 274 (Fig. 2) engaged by a pinion 276. On the pinion is a short arm 278 pivoted at 280 and a curved link 282 (Fig. 1) the other end of which is pivoted at 284 to the upper end of a lever 286 pivoted at 248 to the frame. The lever 286 at its lower end carries a roll 288 engaging a cam 290 on the shaft 24 by which the lever is operated to lower the pad 264 at the beginning of the power cycle and to hold the pad against the form throughout the first half revolution of the shaft 24, that is, during the upward movement of the form 120, by which movement the pressure on the form is increased through the compression of the spring 266. The pad is released by the cam at the beginning of the second half cycle of the cam shaft 24.

A wiper head 292 in which the wiper carrier 242 and wipers 240 are mounted is rigidly supported on the frame by posts 294. A cover plate 296 is secured on top of the wiper carrier and is provided with electrical heating means similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,847,334, granted March 1, 1932, upon application of R. E. Duplessis. Preferably the cover plate has Calrod heating units 298 cast into it.

Other operating instrumentalities include a pair of vertically movable gripper jaws which are operated at first by a treadle and later by power to clamp the two sides of the vamp at the ends of the tip line against the wipers. Each jaw is provided on its gripping face with teeth so formed as to hold the work with a non-slipping grip. Each jaw 300 (Fig. 5) is mounted on a sleeve 302 secured to the upper end of a hollow shaft 304. The sleeve 302 has a rib 306 which engages a slot 308 in a slide 310. The slide carries a gage 312 which extends up in front of the jaw 300 and serves as means for locating the vamp longitudinally with respect to the jaw. The jaw 300 is grooved to receive the outer portion of the rib 306 and is held thereon by a screw 314. The slide 310 is normally raised by a tension spring 316 connected at its lower end to the slide 310 and at its upper end to the jaw 300. When the gage 312 engages the wiper it is depressed against the spring 316. The hollow shaft 304 contains a spring 320 the lower portion of which rests on a plunger 322 (Fig. 5a) which can move upwardly against the spring and is held from downward movement by flanges on the plunger and shaft. The upper end of the spring engages a screw 324 which can be turned to adjust the tension of the spring.

The hollow shaft 304 (Fig. 2) is located in holes in two arms 326, 3260f a bracket 328 which is held on the block 116 by a screw 330 passing through a horizontal slot 332 in the bracket. Each arm 326 is provided with teeth which engage correspondingly toothed plates 334 fixed to the block 116; By loosening the screw 330 each jaw 300 and its gage may be adjusted bodily lengthwise of the form 120 and held in its new position by tightening the screw, move ment of the bracket 328 about the screw 330 being pre- 6 vented by engagement of the teeth on the arms 326 with the teeth on the plates 324.

Beneath the plunger 322 in each shaft 304 is a half horseshoe-shaped plate 336, 337 (Fig. 7), each plate being guided for vertical movement by a tongue 338 thereon which engages a vertical slot 340 (Fig. 8) in a block 341 secured to the frame at 342.

Beneath each plate 336, 337 (Fig. 7) is the end of a lever 344 which is fulcrumed at 346 to a bracket 348 secured to the frame. The front end of each lever is connected by a rod 350 to one end of a whiffletree or equalizing lever 352 the center of which is connected by a rod 354 to a lateral projection 356 of a treadle 358 fulcrumed at 360 on the frame and held raised by a tension spring 362 connected at one end to the treadle and at the other end to the frame. Depression of the treadle will therefore operate the two levers 344 to apply equal upward pressure to the two plates 336, 337 which press up on the plungers and lift the hollow shafts 304 until the jaws 300 press the upper against the wipers 240, further pressure on the treadle causing the plungers 322 to move and apply pressure to the jaws through the springs 320.

From Fig. 5a it is evident that the jaws are offset considerably from the axes of the hollow shafts 304 and hence turning of the shafts on their axes will move the jaws toward and from the form. This turning movement is effected and controlled by turnbuckles (Figs. 2 and 7). One screw 364 of each turnbuckle is pivoted at 366 between ears on a member having a stem 368 extending down through an arm 370 secured to the hollow shaft 304, the stem being held by a nut 372. The other screw 374 of each turnbuckle is pivoted at 376 to the flattened end of a transverse pin 378. A sleeve 380 is threaded at one end for the screw 364 and at the other end for the screw 374, one screw of course having a right-hand thread and the other a left-hand thread. By turning the sleeve the jaws 300 may be swung toward and from the form and when the jaws 300 are adjusted lengthwise of the form by movement of the brackets 328 the sleeves 380 may be turned to maintain the shaft 304 in the same rotational position. The sleeves 380 are held from accidental turning by leaf springs 381 secured to the screws 374 and engaging corrugations on the sleeves.

The pin 378 on which the rear end of each turnbuckle is pivoted has a head 382 (Fig. 7) and passes through a boss 384 on the front end of a link 386, then through an inverted L-shaped member 388 outside of which is a washer 390 and a cotter pin 392. The links 386 at their rear ends are pivoted to a stud 394 on a bracket 396 secured at 398 to the frame. The links 386 are long enough to guide the jaws and the mechanism described as attached thereto in a substantially vertical path, considering the limited movement of the jaws.

The upright portions of the L-shaped members 388 (Fig. 8) have enlarged lower ends in which are vertical holes threaded to receive the upper ends of long threaded rods 400 which are locked thereto by nuts 402. The rods 400 pass at their lower ends through sleeves 404 having studs 406 by which they are pivoted to a lever 408 and surrounding the rods are compression springs 410 located between the sleeves and nuts 412 on the rods.

The lever 408 (Fig. 1) is fulcrumed on a link 414 pivoted at 50 to the frame and is pivotally connected at 416 to the shaft 112. Therefore, as the shaft moves up due to straightening of the toggle 102, 104, the sleeves 404 move up and through the springs 410 apply additional pressure to the jaws 300 and to another operating instrumentality to be described. During manual movement of the jaws 300 the rods 400 move up freely in the sleeves 404.

When moved up manually the jaws 300 firmly clamp the vamp against the wipers in the region of the ends of the tip line with a non-slipping grip. To control and distribute the remainder of the vamp about the end of the form a distributor 420 (Fig. 8) is provided. This comprises a plate which is smooth on one side (Fig. 3) and knurled on the other (Fig. 4). The plate 420 may be secured either side up by screws 422 to a distributor support 424 which has a horizontal groove 426 (Fig. 8) engaging a corresponding rib on a vertical plate 428. A screw 430 passing through a horizontal slot 432 (Fig. 2) in the support and threaded into the plate 428 provides means by which the distributor 420 may be adjusted longitudinally of the form 120. The plate 428 has vertical slots 434 (Fig. 2) to receive screws 436 by which the plate is adjustably secured to the left-hand L-shaped member 388. On the lower end of the plate 428 is a threaded ear 438 in which is a screw 440 with its head resting on the left-hand half horseshoe-shaped member 336. Turning of the screw 440 will adjust the distributor vertically when the screws 436 are loosened, the screw being locked by a nut 442.

The plate 118 (Fig. 3) which supports the form is held on the top of the block 116 by screws 444 and is cut away at the sides to permit lateral adjustment of the jaws 4% is curved to correspond to the curvature of the distributor, allowance being made for the thickness of the vamp which lies between them.

The reduced portion of the plate 118 (Fig. 6) extends beyond the toe plate 446 and engages the distributor 420 to press the upper strongly against the wipers when the block 116 nears the end of its upward movement. The wipers 240, the distributor 420, the toe plate 446 and the form 12%? are changeable.

To operate the machine, the operator, after the wipers are sufficiently heated, will pull forward on the handle 90 to throw the switch and start the motor 18. He will then slip a vamp, prepared as indicated in Fig. 9 and preferably steamed, between the wipers 240 and the distributor 420 until the edges E of the vamp are beyond the gages 312. He then draws the vamp back until the edges E engage the gages 312. Then he steps on the treadle 358, causing the jaws 30% to rise and hold the vamp against the under side of the wipers at the ends of the tip line with substantially a non-slipping grip. At the same time the distributor is raised and clamps the remainder of the lasting allowance of the vamp against the under side of the wipers. The distance between the jaws 300 will be adjusted to less than the width of the vamp at the tip line so that the vamp will be sufiiciently bulged up between the jaws to permit the form 120 to be pushed under the vamp. This is done by a push on the knob 156 by the operators body. If proper adjustment has been made by turning the knob, the latch 176 will engage the notch 1&0 to lock the form in place. The operator now lifts the handle 52 to cause rotation of the cam shaft 24. At once the toe rest 264 is brought down to hold the vamp against the top of the form by the cam 290. The toggle 1&2, 194 begins to push the form up between the wipers. The wipers are then advanced and closed, causing the vamp to be wiped about the form while its lasting allowance is held by the jaws 301) and the distributor 420, the

pressure on both of which is increased by power operation of the lever 498 which compresses the springs 410. The form 120 is at the same time being urged toward the wipers through the yielding link 222 until finally the plate 118 (Fig. 6) reaches the distributor 420 and causes it to press the vamp up against the wipers which are then closed tightly about the lower periphery of the form substantially from one end of the tip line to the other, the portion of the vamp at the ends of the tip line being held against the wipers by the jaws 300 with a non-slipping grip. The turned-out portion of the lasting allowance is thus finally put under heavy pressure as the toggle 102,104 straightens and the plunger 108 may yield under the heavy pressure of its supporting spring. The jaws 300 and distributor 420 thus maintain their pressure on the lasting allowance throughout the upper shaping operation.

It is to be understood that in practice two machines such as that described will be provided, each preferably driven by the same motor and cam shaft, one machine being adapted for shaping the vamp for one foot and the other a vamp for the other foot. Thus, one vamp may remain under pressure and under the influence of the heated wipers in one machine while the other vamp is being shaped and put under pressure in the other machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, the combination of end-embracing wipers, a form support relatively movable with respect to the wipers for presenting a vamp on the form to the wipers, means for gripping portions of the vamp at opposite sides thereof against the wipers, and manually operated means including an equalizing lever for applying the same pressure to the gripping means at each side of the vamp.

2. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, the combination of end-embracing wipers, a form support relatively movable with respect to the wipers for presenting a vamp on the form to the wipers, jaws for pressing the vamp at the ends of the tip line against the wipers, manually actuated means for causing the jaws to apply equalized pressure to the vamp, power-operated means for moving the form support relatively to the wipers to cause the vamp to be wrapped about the form, and power-operated means for increasing the pressure of the jaws upon the vamp.

3. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a shoe vamp having a lasting allowance, the combination of a form, form-embracing wipers constructed and arranged to advance and close, jaws movable heightwise of the form to clamp the vamp against the wipers at the ends of the tip line, a distributor to hold the lasting allowance of the vamp against the wipers continuously from one jaw around the toe to the other jaw, manually operated means to operate the jaws and distributor to clamp the lasting allowance of the vamp against the wipers, power-operated means for advancing and closing the wipers, power-operated means for moving the form heightwise relatively to the wipers, and power-operated means for increasing the pressure of the jaws and distributor against the vamp.

4. A machine according to claim 3 having long links connected at one end to a fixed pivot and at the other end to the jaws and distributor to guide them in their heightwise movement.

5. A machine according to claim 3, in which the jaws have yieldingly depressible gages normally upstanding from the gripping faces of the jaws, against which gages the ends of the lasting allowance may be positioned to determine the position of a vamp in the machine, the gages being depressed upon contact with the wipers to permit engagement of the jaws with the vamp.

6. A machine according to claim 3, in which the jaws are carried by longitudinally movable hollow shafts containing springs resting on upwardly moving plungers, means for adjusting the tension of the springs, plates under the plungers, a pair of levers, one engaging each plate, a whifiletree connected at each end to one of the levers, a treadle rod connected to the center of the whiflletree, and a treadle connected to the treadle rod.

7. A machine according to claim 3, having a yielding toe pad, power-operated means acting at the beginning of the power operation of the machine to move the pad into contact with the vamp on .the form and to hold it thereon throughout the shaping operation.

8. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, a frame, form-embracing wipers mounted on the frame, form-supporting means movable in a direction extending heightwise of the form to present the form to the wipers, jaws located at the ends of the tip line of the vamp to clamp the vamp against the wipers, a distributor for clamping the lasting allowance of the vamp against the wipers around the form from one jaw to the other throughout the vamp shaping operation, and poweroperated means for moving the form relatively to the wipers to wrap the vamp about the form.

9. A machine according to claim 8 in which the distributor comprises a reversible plate one side of which is smooth and the other knurled.

10. In a machine for shaping shoe Vamps, a form, a form carrier, a form support, wipers vertically fixed but movable to advance and close lengthwise of the form, a distributor for holding the vamp again-st the lower face of the wipers, jaws for holding the vamp from slipping at the ends of the tip line, treadle-operatcd means to move the jaws and the distributor to clamp the vamp against the wipers continuously from one end of the tip line around the toe to the other end of the tip line, power-operated means for maintaining pressure of the jaws and distributor on the vamp to the end of the vamp shaping operation, power-operated means for moving the form support to carry the form upwardly between the wipers, poweroperated means for advancing and closing the wipers as the form moves between them, and hand-operated means for initiating the action of all said power-operated means.

11. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp, over a form, the combination of formembracing Wipers arranged to close relatively to the form in a fixed plane, the combination of a form, a form support, a form carrier movable toward the wipers, a latch for holding the carrier with the form in operative relation to the wipers, power-operated means for advancing and closing the wipers, power-operated means for moving the form support heightwise of the form relatively to the wipers, and means for pressing the margin of the toe portion of the vamp from one end of the tip line around the toe to the other end of the tip line against the lower face of the wipers.

12. A machine according to claim 11 in which the form carrier is provided with studs entering holes in the form, one of the studs having an eccentric portion turnable to clamp the form to the form carrier.

13. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, said toe portion having a lasting allowance, the combination of end-embracing wipers constructed and arranged to advance and close, a form support movable relatively to the wipers, a form on the support, said form having a heightwise dimension greater than the last for which the vamp is intended to provide a seam allowance on the vamp, jaws movable heightwise of the form to press the lasting allowance at the ends of the tip line against the wipers, a distributor movable to press the remainder of the lasting allowance against the wipers, manually operated means for applying upward pressure to said jaws and to said distributor, power-operated means for moving the form support relatively to the wipers to wrap the vamp about the form, power-operated means to advance and close the wipers to engage the vamp on the form, and power-operated means to increase the pressure of the jaws and distributor on the lasting allowance during the movement of the form.

14. A machine according to claim 13 in which the form support is reduced in thickness an amount corresponding to the thickness of the distributor, and in which a toe plate of the thickness of the distributor and corresponding in contour to that of the distributor is attached to the reduced portion of the support, part of said support being exposed by the toe plate and serving to press the distributor against the vamp on the under side of the wipers.

15. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, the combination of a form, form-embracing Wipers arranged to advance and close relatively to the form in a fixed plane, a form support, a form carrier movable over the support to present the form beneath the wipers, a latch for holding the form carrier when so moved, means for pressing the margin of the vamp at the ends of the tip line against the lower face of the wipers with a non-slipping grip, means for pressing the margin of the vamp about the toe against the lower face of the wipers, power-operated means for moving the form support perpendicularly to the wipers with a component of movement toewardly of the vamp to cause the vamp to be shaped about the form, part of the margin about the toe being withdrawn from the pressing means as the vamp is conformed to the shape of the form, and power-operated means for urging the form carrier yieldingly toward the Wipers during movement of the form support.

16. In a machine for shaping the toe portion of a vamp over a form, said toe portion having a lasting allowance, the combination of wipers constructed and arranged to advance and close in a horizontal plane, a form, a form support movable with respect to the wipers heightwise of the form, jaws movable heightwise of the form to clamp the lasting allowance of the vamp at the ends of the tip line against the wipers, manually operated means for moving the jaws to clamp the vamp, a carrier for the form movable on the form support to present the form beneath the vamp held by the jaws, means for locking the 'form carrier in operative position, power-operated means for moving the form support to cause the wipers to wrap the vamp about the form, the final movement of the form support acting to press an outturned portion of the lasting allowance against the wipers, power-operated means to advance and close the wipers about the form during its heightwise movement, and means for stopping said power-operated means with the vamp under pressure.

17. In a power-operated machine of the class described, a cam shaft, a half-revolution clutch controlling the cam shaft, a form, a form support, a pad for pressing a vamp on the form, a cam on the 'cam shaft, and connections from said cam to said pad whereby said cam acts when the machine is started to move the pad at once into engagement with the vamp on the form to hold it there throughout the first half-cycle of the machine and to release it at the beginning of the second half cycle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Miller Dec. 11, 

